New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-07-29
GOV. HILL ISSUES A "BULL.S


THAT ID w hal Mn Ia ~ CALLo ulo W Ohk.
| COMPLAINTS CALLING ron THE REMOVAL or
| GUARANTEES COMMIssT ,SERs-THElR REPLY.
Quarantine Commissioners Plat ana Nichol. wore
served yesterday by Attorney -1eneaal OBrien with
copies of the complaint which ar Hort viii bs
made to remove them from oaice. Stripped OF sho
legal verbiags the complaint dectores follows:
That the Office of Quarantine Commissioner one OF
the public Offices OF this State. created aud exciting
under the Quarantine act OF 1853 This provides that
the Governor shall by and with the consent and sd-
vice of the Senate appoint three Commissioners WHO
shall be residents of the Metropolitan Police District
who shall hold their Office tar three years, ana Their
successors shall b. residents of the METROPOLITAN Ds
tric and hold Office for the same length OF time The
salary of the ONCE is 81 0OO year. and the duties
| specified under the act.
| On January 20, 1850, Governor Cornell nominated
Thomas C. P,att tn be Quarantine Commissioner and
he was confirmed by the Senate and entered nj the
duties OF the place The boundaries of the old Metro
politan Police District given. IL Is alleged that at
the date OF his appointment and for eonsiderabls
ti,ue prior thereto Mr.. Pstt was resident OF the
county of Toga AID thai he was not then nor has he
since been a resident OF the Metropolitan Police Dis
tric accordingly not qualified to hold the Office
of Quarantine Commissioner and ever sine the date
of mis- appointment has usurped the Office OF Quaran.
| tine Comm issioner.
For further Of action 1t Il alleged that Ne.
| Platt did not take the oath vt office before
proper officer, but before notary pnblic who is
affirmation to q Quarantine Commissioners. 1t IL
further alleged that the oath or affirmation so taken
was by law required to be filed in the Office Of tina
County Clerk of the county where be then lived Or
has since lived but instead of doing so that Mr. Piat
wiuly ed the same in the Office of the Secretary
of State in Albaoy 1t held for the reasons given
that the office OF Quaran tine Commissioner was
lawfully filed By Mr. Plat, and the Attorney General,
in behalf OF the People OF the State OF York. de-
mands that he he adjudged guilty OF usurpng and
| n.,ora nt.n runt-a
that he has forfeited the same and that judgment be
| rendered removing him. and that be pay fine Of
! So, 900 and the costs OF the action.
| Ia IL true. Mr.. Platt," asked TRIBUNE reporter
| yesterday, "that Q summons and complaint in an
action through the have been served
upon you to compel you to surrender the once OF
| Quarantine Commissioner y"
sYes. IL is 40. The Governors bull OF exccmmuni-
cation was duly served upon me this morning 1t Is
formal summons and COMP laint by the People OF tho
State OF NewYork. by their attorney the Hon. Deni.
| OBren. demanding my removal from me once OF
! Commissioner OF Quarantine, alleging that have
Of the office that l am not a resident OF the Meto-
poifan Police District OF this city that did not
properly take the oath OF Office when entering upon
the discharge OF the duties CT the oce, aud that am
not now and have been resident OF the city OF
New York | observe also in hastily gancing at the
Office tut to pay fine Of 1900 in expiation OF my
| consecutive and grave offences during a period OF
| more than seven years. hat should consider
very reasonable amount for such chapter OIL grave
| offences are charged" -,
| Were you expecting 81 ch action to be takenf"
| "Iwas not expecting anything, but was prepared
hmted boosted shouted aud published that terrible
proceedings were about to take form to ds.odge tie
Quarantine officials. but whether by force OF arms.
by reading the riot act or By the lilder and more
digni6ed processes OF Law, than any mortal
not inside tue Governors confidential circle could tell
But the long agony has ~ last horne It's frut coming
| In the form OF a miId-mannered simmons AID com
plant, which tae door to legal contc-t neces
sariy so protracted that it hardly seems as though
| - Ia hA mi nd,d Sel
Colonel Fred Grant in the Commission This, then, 10
| the long promised explosion. This is the mouse OF
consequential resulting from the Hill OF mighty
labor This is evidently the substitute Tor the prom
ised cyclone or upheayal OF Executive disple,sure
| which to sweep the entire Quarantine ohacias
from the earth or blow them into at0ma IL IL for Tbs
and this only that newspaper organs have tor weeks
and months been limiting and vaporing oil corruption
and mslfeasauce in office. and preparing the public
mind for the starting den also keeong deeply
tert sted citizens home from Europe TO the end toas
| they might he in at the death OF the usurpeis. A.
aft such illumination as this repays these gente-
men for weary waking hours at night aud Tor endIr-
| ing the swetering hours OF day. they must indeed 20
easily satisfied Let me say to you rght oere 'ua. inc
NJ tropolitan Pc ice District. which was created ny
the act of s57 long since repealed and Tor many
years before my incumbency had no existence can
not therefore, see how can be compelled to reside
in district which did not and does NOT ex's,. FER
| haps the Governor can, as he Is lawyer
awnat about your alleged failure properly to take
There was no such failure. Although no such pro-
ceedng believed to be required by Law, SO Tar as the
| Comssionsrs of Quarantine are concerned, yet NY
recollection ID that did quality at The Tine Oh my
appointme 1t, TOR he that such or. ceecns
was usually required Mt least expected That psr'
Of the complaint will be quickly disposed OF when the
As to the question of residence and domicile Was
that question ever raised respecting your relation 70
| the Quarantine any other oitce
Oh yes it was raised at the time OF my appointments
tn the office in 1850, and was carefully ana COM
peently considered before the appointment was naas
ana confirmed. l bad been president OF the United
States Express Company some tue PRIOR, ana was as
consistently . resident Of New. York Is any other
here ts1ugs S,a in hi. as that
NAV have his domice in one place ana actuaiy ~.
side in another; an may have two residences. II
business pursuits would find himself Handicapped not
| only unjust.y but senselessly. The Governor, be-
eve, has couple OF legal resde.ss 70 one o, wh'sa
ne goes to manage caucuses and conventions anu 70
vote and in the other t. conduct the AFFAIRS OF stare
and prescrvs harmony in the ranks that are
| to march at least to move him toward the wpue
House when Cleveland gets through oceupyngh.
The Governor haa probably forgotten the nomination
of General Mcclellan ty Governor Tilaen some years
ago to be- Superintendent of Public Works, when the
General barely nominal resident OF this city ana
an actual resident another State. in which be was
of the appointment OF citizen Of N~w-ersey to- tho
presidency OF tho Health Department OF this city Is
one hch also may bave been forgotten or mislaid IN
| the hurry of preparing these papers
| ings will bring about the object sOughtt
"By no means BE has no such thor sn. OF sa OK,
\ foolish idea. He hopes to make 1t serv'ceaIio as
nautical capital IL 10 part of the Chinese gong.
beating essential to this game OF peanut poiitlcs
which he has been playing for the last six months
| Quarantine Commissioner Nichols said tpst ne naa
| alao been served with . notice charming MIN WITH
failure to take his oath Of office before the prorer
officer and to file it in the proper Office he Teaiiy
could not remember he said, before whom be took hn
OATH nor where he filed il. but he knew that he con-
suited competent authorities at the tine ~nd fellow
what he though was good advice He had gwen sne
subject no consideration and was not prepared 70
make any statement He and Mr. Plat would hayea
consultation to-day and decide on their conrse IN INC
matter He thought the exaction OF hne of $2,O~
was pretty tough just at tas vacation season
| COMFORT FOR THE BLIND.